Blinder Than A Bat
by Aprotny
Summary: When Dick Grayson gets brutally blinded by the Joker, his and Bruce's secret identities get compromised. The CPS take Dick away. How will he manage separated from Bruce? Can his best friend and best friend's uncle help him cope? Will he ever be allowed to be near Bruce again?
1. Chapter 1

Robin dodged left, parried right. He was fighting the Joker, along with several of the Joker's goons. After the Joker kidnapped him during patrol, Robin had woken up disoriented and woozy. Despite the aftereffects of whatever sedative Joker had used, he had managed to break loose and run for the exit.

It was only a split second, possibly even less than that, that he lost focus. Before he knew it, several of the goons had pinned him down, more taking hold of him by the second.

Joker approached him slowly, a knife in hand. "Why are you running away, little birdie? Don't you want to play?"

Robin struggled harder.

"Come on, play with me! Let's play… Marco Polo!"

Robin didn't know what he meant by that, but he knew it wasn't good. He tried to break loose, but the goons strapped him to a table.

Joker grabbed his head to keep him still. "But in order to play, we have to make a little change."

Robin struggled. However, the goons combined with the restraints made it almost impossible to move. As such, he couldn't prevent it when the knife came swinging towards his head.

"ROBIN!"

* * *

Dick awoke to the sound of a heart monitor. The room was pitch black and the upper half of his face felt like it was on fire.

He looked around the room. Nothing. Not even shadows of objects. However, he could hear several noises: the heart monitor, the writing of a pen on paper, and a couple of people breathing beside him. He could also feel several things, two hands wrapped around his right hand, what felt like a blindfold wrapped around his eyes, and the blanket pulled up to his chest.

He was awake for a few minutes before the clicking of heels and opening and closing of the door indicated someone coming in.

The person holding his right hand shifted.

"Please tell me you have good news." That was Bruce's voice. He was probably the one sitting beside Dick.

A woman whose voice sounded a lot like Leslie's responded. "You want the good news first or the bad news?"

"Bad news."

"His eyes are damaged beyond repair. He'll never see again."

Dick's eyes widened, pain accompanying the minor movement. They weren't talking about him, were they?

"And the good news?" That was Alfred. He was sure that was Alfred.

"That's his only injury at the moment. And he should be waking up soon."

Bruce squeezed his hand. "The injury he got is bad enough. He'll probably never be able to go out into the field after this."

Oh god! They _were_ talking about him!

"I wouldn't say that. He'd just have to adjust to fighting without seeing. But that's if you plan on letting him out at all. You'd have to train him all over again, so, ultimately, it's up to you."

'Please, _please_ don't ban me from being Robin!' Dick prayed silently.

"It will be a long time before I will even consider letting him out as Robin again. But whether or not he goes crime-fighting later in life is uncertain." Bruce decided.

"I agree." Alfred added.

"Do… do I have a say?" Dick whimpered.

He was pretty sure he'd startled the three adults by speaking up.

"How long have you been awake, Master Dick?"

"... long enough."

"How much did you hear?"

"All of it."

"This isn't quite how I would've liked you to find out…" Bruce began.

"Oh yeah?! Then when were you gonna tell me?!" Dick could feel the bandages around his eyes grow wet. He was crying. "I'm freaking blind!" A sob. "I'm blind… I can't see… I… I'll never see..." He was full-out weeping now, and imagining all the things he could no longer do now that he was blind.

He could feel Bruce pulling him into a hug and stroking his hair while mumbling meaningless apologies.

He wanted to wake up to find none of this had happened, to open his eyes and still be able to see.

"Just out of curiosity, what are you going to tell the media?" Leslie asked, bringing up an important question.

"I was kidnapped and my kidnapper did this to me. Don't specify and nobody will question." Dick mumbled. "And you never saw the kidnapper, so you don't know who it was."

"Dick, I..."

"I don't want to hear it." Dick stated. "Save your apologies for someone who actually cares. J-just take me home."

"Leslie?"

"He's clear to go. Drive safely."

Bruce carefully helped Dick out of bed, and led him slowly out to the car, making sure he didn't trip or fall.

Dick leaned his head against Bruce's chest on the car ride back to the manor.

Halfway through the ride, he mumbled. "I wanna talk to Wally."

"Okay." Bruce said. Dick was about to speak again when he heard the dial tones indicating Bruce was calling someone.

Someone picked up. "Hello?" Dick had heard Wally's voice over the telephone enough times to know it was his best hero friend.

"Batcave. Five minutes." Bruce hung up before Wally could answer.

"Are you wanting him to freak out?" Dick asked.

Bruce shrugged. "It's fun."

* * *

Wally West, Kid Flash, got changed in the blink of an eye and ran as fast as he could to the Zeta Tube.

His Uncle Barry, the Flash, noted it and caught up to him. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

"I have three minutes left to get to the Batcave or Batman will grill me!" Wally replied.

"You sure? He seems to like messing with you." Barry said, amused.

"If it wasn't important, why wouldn't he have had Dick call me?!" Wally snapped.

Barry didn't have a good comeback for that. "I'll come with you then. Maybe he can use an extra hand."

They arrived at the Zeta Tube and Zeta'd to the Batcave.

"What's up, Bats?" Barry asked as soon as they appeared. "Wally seems to think it's important."

"Oh. Dick just wanted to talk with him." Bruce replied, still in his civies.

Wally balked in surprise. He was just messing with him? It wasn't important?

"Told you he was just messing with you." Barry murmured.

"That doesn't mean it's not important. Change quickly. You know Alfred's rules." Bruce said.

"Wait! Why didn't Dick call me if he just wanted to talk to me?" Wally asked. He noted the subtle hesitancy that entered Bruce's stance when he said that.

"You'll find out soon enough." Bruce replied, heading up the stairs to the manor.

Barry and Wally exchanged glances and then quickly changed out of their costumes.

Upstairs, Dick was sitting on one of the couches, an untouched plate of cookies on the small table beside him. Bruce could be heard talking to Alfred in another room.

He turned in Wally and Barry's direction when they came into the room. Wally noted with a start that there were bandages around his eyes.

"Dude, what happened to you?" He sped over to his friend. "Why are you blindfolded with bandages? Shouldn't you take them off? You can't see with those on."

Dick was silent.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Wally repeated.

It was Bruce who finally answered, entering the room in time to hear the question. "The Joker harmed him."

"Again? Man, that madman just won't stop. Can't he take a hint?" Wally joked.

Dick choked out an attempt at a laugh.

"Seriously though. Usually you have bandages everywhere when the Joker gets you. And you still manage to get up and grin and do that creepy cackle of yours and…" Dick punched at Wally, but missed due to not knowing exactly where he was.

Wally took a step back. "Okay. I get it. I'll stop talking about it." He noticed the bandages around Dick's eyes were wet. "Hey. Were you crying? Are you crying?"

"Yeah. Cuz apparently my tear ducts weren't destroyed along with the rest of my eyes." Dick snarled sarcastically.

Wally froze. "What?"

"Barry." Bruce said, making it clear he wanted to leave the two of them alone.

Dick waited for Bruce and Barry's footsteps to recede before turning to where he thought Wally was.

"He wanted to play 'Marco Polo'. He must've thought it would be more fun to play without me being able to see." Dick grumbled. Wally touched his shoulder from behind him. "Great! I don't even know where people are!"

Wally winced. "I'm sorry, Dick. Tell you what, I'll work with you. I'll help you learn Braille and figure out how to do the flippity flippy thing without your eyesight. We'll learn together. You don't have to be alone in this. And there are tons of other people out there who have this problem. You're resilient. You can overcome it."

"You really think so?" Dick whispered, somewhat calmed by the words.

"Yeah! Like I said, we'll learn together! I'll be with you every step of the way!" Wally was relieved his words were making a difference.

Dick felt in the air for him.

"Heh. I'm right here." Wally touched Dick's hand and was surprised when the smaller boy pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Wally. I'll hold you to it." Dick murmured.

"I'll come over every day. If it's okay with Bruce, that is. And I'll notify you if I can't make it so that you'll know. And a flip phone that has the numbers in Braille would probably help once you learn them."

Dick was grinning now, happy he had a friend like Wally to help him out. The grin faded, though, when he thought of something.

"Um… what are you and Batman gonna tell the team? I mean, I obviously won't be joining you on missions anymore."

"Good question. We'll think of something. He'll probably have me act like I don't know anything until he tells the team whatever."

"Yeah…"

"Alfred left you some cookies. You want any?"

"Help yourself. I'm not hun…" Dick was interrupted when Wally stuffed a cookie into his mouth mid-sentence. "Mmph."

"Chew and swallow!" Wally said cheerfully. "You can't reject Alfred's cookies! It's not in the realm of possibility!"

Dick swallowed hard and managed a small smile. Wally sure knew how to cheer him up.

Barry and Bruce came back into the room.

"The league's been called for an emergency meeting." Barry announced. "Wally, stay with Dick."

"Got it!" Wally saluted.

"Alfred went out to get some books for learning Braille." Bruce informed them. "He'll be back in a bit."

Dick's smile faded once more.


	2. Chapter 2

"A-P-R… is that an R?" Dick questioned.

"Yep, you got it right." Wally said, glancing from the guidebook to the text Dick was working on reading.

"I-L 2-0-0-9. April 2009." Dick finished the line. "I take it that's the publication date?"

"Sure is. Try the next line."

"F-R-R-... Wait… F-O-R-E-N-S-I-C… Are you _still_ giving me articles about your uncle?"

Wally smirked. "Hey. At least it's in Braille." Dick punched him in the arm. "Ow! Your aim's getting better."

"Yeah yeah. Do you have anything that's _not_ about your uncle I can work on?"

"Sorry. All I brought."

"What about the guidebook? Aren't there passages in the guidebook?"

"I thought you already read all of those."

"I did. But it's better than reading bragging pieces about your uncle."

"Hey!"

Alfred entered the room. "Master Dick, I found you another mathematical book in Braille."

"Sweet! Math!" Dick exclaimed. "Thanks, Alfred!"

Alfred handed him the book. "There are cookies in the kitchen. While your stomach may be a bottomless pit, Mr. West, please save some for Master Dick."

"Yes, sir." Wally agreed.

Seeing as Dick was immersed in reading his new Math book, Wally zoomed into the kitchen, grabbed the plate of cookies, and came back.

"Your cookies, Master Dick." He said in his best Alfred voice.

Dick snorted with laughter. "Thanks, Wally."

"Why must you call me Wally? I am Alfred. Posh British butler." Wally continued.

Dick was cracking up by now. "Okay. Stop."

Wally grinned. He was glad he could still make Dick laugh. It made a big difference, he knew.

Bruce had become super overprotective since Dick got blinded. He was forbidden from leaving the house/grounds and prohibited from wandering around by himself. Even school was no reprieve. Dick was being homeschooled until Bruce could find a school for blind kids with enough protection to ensure that Dick would be safe there. It wasn't quite a ridiculous reaction. Dick had somehow managed to knock himself out, earning a minor concussion, the first day by wandering around and it took them an hour to find him. Add on his potential as a target for kidnappings and it was easy to see why strict Bruce became a hundred times stricter.

Not to mention, Wally and Barbara Gordon were Dick's only friends who were allowed to visit whenever they liked. Any other 'friends' Bruce didn't trust enough to allow around his disabled kid. The team was puzzled when they were told Robin was banned from being Robin for an unknown amount of time. None of them had made the connection between Richard Grayson and Robin yet.

The person almost everyone was most worried about figuring it out was the Joker, having been the one to blind Dick in the first place. The criminal didn't seem to have put two and two together yet, but paranoia was amped up in case he did.

Dick perked up suddenly. "Bruce is home!"

Wally was startled out of his thoughts at that and checked the time. Was it that late already? Bruce entered the room.

"Wally? May I speak with you for a minute?" He said.

Wally was surprised that it was him Bruce wanted to speak to rather than Dick, but nodded and followed Bruce out of the room.

"What is it?" Wally asked. "Is it about Dick?"

"There's a gala tonight and the host is practically demanding I bring Dick with me. His argument is that I'm hiding him because _I_ did something to him, even though the evidence says otherwise. Anyways, the public will be suspicious if I don't bring him and there is no way I am bringing him without someone to watch him. I can't spend the whole gala guarding him. Do you understand where I'm going with this?"

"You want me to bodyguard Dick." Wally was amazed that Bruce was even considering it. It sure said a lot about how much Bruce trusted him now.

"Be on guard. Villains like to attack at events like these and I'm trusting you to make sure nothing happens to Dick." Bruce continued, obviously taking that as a yes Wally would do it. "Not to mention, Dick hates these events. He'll be glad to have a friend there."

Wally nodded. "Okay. I'm assuming you have an extra tux or whatever I'm supposed to wear."

Bruce gave him a 'well duh' look. He walked back into the room Dick was in. Wally followed behind.

"Dick, we have to go to a gala tonight." Bruce said.

"We?" Dick asked, obviously shocked. After all, he hadn't been to a single event since the incident.

"Yes, we. The public's pressuring me to take you along." Bruce said.

"What if a villain attacks?" Dick seemed nervous and upset at the implications of going to the gala.

"Wally will ensure you're safe." Bruce said.

"Wally's coming?!" Dick immediately brightened. "Yes! Maybe it won't be as boring as usual!"

"What's that supposed to mean? What am I getting myself into?" Wally piped up.

Dick grinned. "We can…"

"Best behavior." Bruce interrupted. "That means no pranks or running around like monkeys."

"Party-pooper." Dick rolled his unseeing eyes.

"Dick…"

"Fine, we'll behave. Even so, it'll be more fun with Wally there."

Bruce nodded in approval. "Wally, inform Barry that you're going to be home late because of the gala. I'll leave your tuxedo in Dick's room. He might need your help getting ready. We need to leave in about an hour."

"Understood." Wally saluted.

Bruce smirked and walked away.

Wally pulled out his cell phone and dialed his uncle. "Hi, Uncle Barry. Bruce wants me to tell you I'll be home late. He wants me to go with him and Dick to some fancy schtick. I think it was called a gala?" He listened for a moment. "Okay. I'll let you know when I start home. Bye."

He hung up the phone.

Dick stood up. "Come on! Let's go get ready! I can't remember the last time I was excited for a gala, but I think this one will be okay since you're going to be there!" He ran off and slammed into the wall. "Ow…

Wally sped over to him. "You okay, dude?"

"I have to remember not to run in the house…" Dick mumbled, dizzily.

"The doorway's a foot to your right." Wally informed him. "Where's your walking stick?"

"Upstairs."

"You're supposed to keep it with you at all times."

"Who are you? Bruce? I'm fine."

"You ran into a wall literally five seconds ago."

"Fine… Help me get upstairs."

 **An hour later…**

"This thing is kind of tight." Wally noted, pulling at his tuxedo shirt.

"Most tuxes are." Dick replied, combing his hair back. "Does my hair look okay? It's hard to style it without the mirror."

"Here. Let me." Wally said, taking the comb from him. "Is all the hair gel really necessary? I think it's kind of overkill."

"Yeah. So do I. But it's part of the image we have to uphold." Dick responded. "Kind of annoying really."

Bruce entered Dick's bathroom. Like Dick, he was wearing a lot of hair gel and a tuxedo. "You two just about ready? Alfred's taking us in the limo."

"The limo?" Wally gaped.

"You forget which family you're with for a sec, Wally?" Dick laughed. "Of _course_ we're taking the limo."

Wally finished styling Dick's hair. "This look good, Bruce?"

"Yes. It looks good. Come on. We're going to be late."

"Only _stylishly_ late." Dick grinned.

"By the way, the host doesn't want you bringing your walking stick into the party because you'd probably bump people with it. Although I personally disagree, we'll have to go without, which means Wally's your eyes. Stick together at all times. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Wally and Dick chorused.

The three went down to the garage where Alfred was waiting with the limo.

The media was waiting when they arrived at the gala. Dick had to remind Wally three times that he was his eyes, because the older boy wasn't used to being blinded by camera flashes.

Vicki Vale was reporting nearby, speaking about Dick's reappearance as well as his new 'bodyguard'.

The attention made Wally feel nervous. He wasn't used to all the paparazzi and it reminded him of how important his newfound job was.

To his surprise, Dick seemed to be nervous too. "I can't see them. I know they're there but I can't see them…" The younger boy whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

Wally mentally forced himself to be brave. Dick needed him as more than a friend right now. He needed him to keep him safe.

The party was uneventful for the first half hour or so. Wally relaxed. Nothing was happening. Everything was okay.

Then… "Hello Richard. It's nice to see your abusive Daddy isn't keeping you locked away anymore." A snobby rich girl showed up unexpectedly.

At once, Wally was on alert.

"My dad isn't abusive!" Dick argued.

"Yeah right. You were always showing up to school with bruises and then you were suddenly blinded? I'm surprised child services hasn't taken you away from him yet." The snobby girl sneered.

"A lot of people attack me to get to Bruce! He does everything he can to protect me! It's not his fault!" Dick growled.

"Even more reason for child services to take you away. You'd be safer away from abusive Daddy and all the people who want his money." The snobby girl smirked triumphantly.

Wally grabbed Dick before he could start throwing punches.

"Leave him alone! Go pick on someone your own size!" He growled at the snobby girl.

"Oh. Your bodyguard seems to be under the impression that Mr. Wayne is a good guy. Such a shame." The snobby girl continued.

"Go away! It's clear you're just a good-for-nothing brat who picks on others out of jealousy!" Wally snapped. "You don't know anything. Leave us alone. Come on, Dick."

He pulled Dick away from the snobby girl. The boy was fuming.

"Why didn't you let me punch her?!" He growled at Wally.

"Would punching her have done any good? She would've just said something about Bruce being a bad influence on you and that you proved her point." Wally reasoned. "She's completely wrong. The best thing to do would be to ignore her."

Dick took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Yeah… You're right… I still want to punch _someone_ though. Especially since I don't get to go out anymore."

Wally sighed. He knew what Dick meant by that. The boy was having a hard time controlling himself without the ability to cope with his anger by fighting bad guys.

"Can't help you there. Come on. Let's get some food."

"Okay. Don't take too much though. Can't have anyone figuring out your mega metabolism." Dick teased gently.

They walked over to the buffet. Two blondes were standing near it. Wally did a double take. One of them looked strikingly familiar.

"Um… Dick? Is there any reason why Artemis would be here?" Wally whispered in Dick's ear.

"Artemis? She's friends with Bette Kane, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"Why's she in Gotham in the first place?"

"Tell you later. Can you get me some food? I can't tell what it is without touching it."

"Oh! Right." Wally collected what he judged to be a normal amount of food on a plate and handed it to Dick. "Hold on to that while I get some for myself." He then got himself a little more food than he'd gotten Dick, but not a suspicious amount. "Come on." Wally led Dick to a table and they sat down.

Wally ate as slowly as he could force himself to. Even so, Dick was still eating when he finished.

"Hey Richard." Someone said.

Wally went on alert again, but relaxed when he saw it was Artemis and not the snobby girl from before or anyone like the snobby girl from before.

"It's been a while. I found out about what happened over the news. Barbara hasn't been as upbeat without you to banter with her at school." Artemis directed her attention to Dick, her eyes flickering over to Wally every once in a while. She slid into the seat next to Dick.

"Yeah. It's been hard. Only two of my friends are allowed to come over, so I don't really see, well, not see, talk to, a variety of people. Plus, Braille is _difficult_. It's not as easy to learn as the other languages I know."

"The mathletes lost their last competition. They're not as good without their captain."

"Yeah. I wish I could help. I'm still keeping up with math. In Braille, that is. Numbers are easier to figure out than letters. There's less of them."

"Um… who's this? I haven't seen him around before."

"This is Wallace. Bruce hired him to be my bodyguard tonight. You know, since I can't take care of myself that well anymore."

"It's nice to meet you, Wallace. My name's Artemis." Artemis stuck her hand out for a handshake. Wally was still stunned to see her there, but shook her hand anyways.

"So you been to many of these galas?" Wally asked for conversational reasons.

"Yeah. Bette likes dragging me to them." Artemis rolled her eyes. "Boring. She's in the restroom right now. I'd better head back before she realizes I'm gone. It was nice seeing you again, Richard. I'm glad you're doing okay."

"Later, Artemis!" Dick smiled.

Artemis smiled and walked away.

"Spill. What's she doing here?" Wally whispered.

"You just met her, _remember_?" Dick replied.

Wally groaned. "Fine. But you'd better explain later."

There was the sound of shattering glass as gunmen swung into the room.

Wally stood up quickly.

Chaos ensued.

"Okay. First and final step. Let's get you out of here." Wally said, pulling Dick out of his chair and towards the exit. They didn't get far. Several of the gunmen blocked them and herded them into a group of people at the center of the room, guns at their backs.

Wally faced the gunmen and shoved Dick behind him, determined to keep them from getting him. It was what he was here for, after all.

He took in the gunmen's attire. Before he could guess at who the villain they were facing was, however, a laugh rang through the air.

"Why stop the party? Don't you want to have some _fun_?" Wally located the villain and glared up at him as Dick started shaking.

"It's Joker." The younger boy whispered.

Wally gritted his teeth. Joker, the person who had blinded Dick. This wasn't good.

"Where's Batsy? Is he still mad about what I did to his little bird? I am sure he can _see_ even better now. Hahaha."

Dick's breathing sped up. Wally squeezed his hand, assuring him that he wouldn't let Joker get him.

People around them were whispering. Dick started chewing on his lip again. Wally knew what he was thinking. If this continued, people would figure out the connection between Dick and Robin.

"Where are you, Batsy?" Joker taunted. "Do I need a little _persuasion_ to make you come out? Hahaha. Maybe I should play Marco Polo again. _Eye_ had so much fun with that last time."

A few people were watching Dick's reactions suspiciously now. The boy stiffened and tried his best to put up a brave front even though he was clearly terrified. Wally knew he was trying not to prove their suspicions right.

"Stand down, Joker." Batman growled, swinging in through one of the broken windows.

"Now why would I do that? Harley, be a dear and show Batsy why we don't need to stand down."

Dick's wrist was yanked out of Wally's grasp. The former yelped while the latter spun around quickly and growled. Harley Quinn was holding a knife to Dick's neck.

Batman shot a batglare at Harley before turning said glare on Joker.

"I've got you all figured out, Batsy. Two little black-haired boys, both brutally blinded on the same night. Who knew there could be such a coincidence? Easy. There isn't. Little Grayson over there is Batsy's little birdie. Isn't that right, Batsy?"

Many people gasped.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Batman ground out.

Joker kept grinning.

Wally didn't know what Batman wanted him to do: wait or take action. So he did the latter. He charged at Harley Quinn at a normal human speed and kicked the knife out of her hand, freeing Dick and engaging in battle with Harley.

Dick dropped to the floor and crawled away, frantic. He knew if he fought back, he'd prove Joker right. Plus, he couldn't see a thing. What was he supposed to do? He could hear several of the gunmen approaching him. Batman had launched into a battle with Joker and Wally was occupied with Harley. There was no Robin to take down the gunmen, as Robin was out of commission thanks to the very villain being fought right now.

So Dick did the only thing he could think of right then. He reached into his pocket and found the device Batman had made him to call for league help should he need it. Feeling the buttons with the imprinted symbols, he swiftly analyzed who would be best to call. Flash or Superman would get there fastest, Wally was already here, so Flash would probably be nearby. Flash it was then. He quickly found and pressed his finger against the lightning symbol. A split second later, he was grabbed from behind by a gunman, who dragged him towards the exit. At least, Dick assumed he was being dragged towards the exit. That or being dragged towards Joker. Exit probably made more sense to the gunman. Two seconds after that, the gunman was knocked away and out as Flash joined the fight.

It took a few minutes for all the criminals to be taken down. Dick had managed to locate a table and had taken refuge under it, the tablecloth keeping him hidden. He waited for all the noise to stop, and for Wally to start yelling for him, before crawling out.

Of course, the gala guests formed a crowd around him, asking questions about Joker's little 'announcement', immediately after he crawled out.

"Richard! There you are!" Wally exclaimed, pushing to the center of the crowd. Dick was still on his knees, not having bothered to stand up since he clearly wasn't going anywhere with the crowd around him anyways. Wally pulled him to his feet. "Come on. Alfred's waiting outside." He turned to the gala guests who showed no sign of moving anytime soon. "Move! Get out of our way!"

He then pulled Dick out of the crowd towards the doors, the crowd trailing behind them.

Outside, the paparazzi were waiting. They shoved microphones in Wally and Dick's faces and repeatedly took pictures. Wally did a better job of ignoring them this time. He shoved through them and helped Dick into the limo, then climbed in after him. Alfred shut the door, walked around to the driver's seat and drove off. Bruce had already been in the limo when they got there.

"That was a disaster." Wally grumbled.

Bruce grunted, obviously distracted. He was looking out the window.

They were nearing the manor by the time someone spoke again.

"What's going to happen now?" Dick whispered.

"We're going to do everything we can to prevent Joker from being proven right. And hope that not many people believe the rumor." Bruce replied.

Dick dipped his head. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Wally asked.

"If I hadn't let the Joker blind me…"

"Excuse me, I highly doubt you _let_ the Joker blind you. You fought back with all you were worth and it wasn't enough. It was _not_ your fault." Wally snapped.

"Wally's right, Dick. There was nothing you could've done. It's my fault you got blinded. I didn't get there fast enough." Bruce said.

"Not you too!" Wally exclaimed in frustration. "The only person to blame for Dick's blinding is Joker! Neither of you are to blame! You weren't _expecting_ it to happen! No! It just _happened_!"

Silence greeted his words. It seemed both Dick and Bruce were still blaming themselves.

Wally sighed. So much for convincing them not to wallow in their guilt.

Barry was waiting in Bruce's study when they arrived back at the Manor. He was dressed in civvies and clearly worried. Bruce told Dick and Wally to go hang out in Dick's room so he could talk to Barry.

"Status report?" Bruce asked once they were out of sight.

"It's all over the news." Barry replied. "And someone got the actual announcement on camera."

"Damn it." Bruce growled. "Well, you're gonna have to take the Zeta Tube out. No doubt they'll have the house surrounded soon, if not already."

"Bruce, I hate to say it, but Dick is no longer safe here." Barry said hesitantly. "Besides the obvious villains, Child Services will come after him and probably try to take him away."

Bruce glared at Barry, who raised his hands in mock-surrender.

"All I'm saying is that you need to send Dick away with someone you trust before he gets taken away by someone you don't trust. I know that's not what you want to hear right now, but you can't deny that you don't have much to convince the court to let you keep him. Money can only go so far in a case like this."

Wally ran into the room at a normal running speed. "They're here."

"Who?" Barry asked.

"Child Services." Wally answered, the worry obvious in his eyes.

Bruce pushed past him and ran into the foyer, where Alfred was trying to talk the child protection services officials out of removing Dick from his and Bruce's care.

"You had your chance!" One of the officials burst out. "The child will be placed into protective custody for 72 hours. Unless you can prove that you are not responsible for what happened to him, he will then be taken to a licensed foster home until further notice. Resistance will only make things worse for you."

Alfred went silent and turned to look at Bruce, an expression of 'do something' clear on his unusually distraught face.

The CPS officials turned to Bruce as well, explaining to him what was happening and showing him the documents that ordered the change.

Upstairs, Wally had returned to Dick and was trying to comfort him. Both could hear everything that was happening in the foyer.

"It'll be okay, Dick. Bruce will figure out something. Even if they do take you, it won't be for good. Bruce will do everything in his power to get you back."

"But what if he can't? What if he fails?"

"Then we'll see about taking you in. I'm sure my family wouldn't mind."

"But I want to stay with Bruce…"

"I know you do. He'll figure something out. I'm sure he will."

The voices from downstairs got louder as the CPS officials came upstairs to get Dick, Bruce and Alfred trailing behind them..

Wally shoved Dick behind him once more as they entered Dick's room. Both boys were still dressed in the tuxedos they'd worn to the gala.

"Richard, we're giving you ten minutes to gather what you want to keep and change out of that tuxedo. After that, you're coming with us with or without your belongings." One of the officials told him.

"Uh-uh!" Dick shook his head defiantly.

"I'm sorry, Richard, but you don't have a choice in the matter. Mr. Wayne has abused his rights as your guardian and put you in more danger than necessary. You're no longer allowed to stay with him. He can't legally keep you." The official told him.

Dick felt tears come to his eyes and he fell to his knees, sobbing.

"Ten minutes." The official repeated softly, leaving the room with the other CPS officials. Alfred followed them while Bruce knelt down and pulled Dick into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Dick." The man said. "They wouldn't listen to me. I'm going to do everything in my power to get you back. I promise."

Dick leaned into him, still weeping.

"L-let's get you out of that tux." Bruce stammered. "And I'm not going to let you leave this house without some form of secret communication device, okay?"

Dick nodded.

Wally helped Bruce gather Dick's most prized possessions and picked out the clothes Dick would be taking with him.

Bruce disappeared for a brief minute to grab some stuff from the Batcave to give him. Wally used the time to help Dick change into some more comfortable clothes. He made sure the device to call the Justice League was nestled safely inside Dick's pocket, deep enough that he wouldn't lose it, but close enough to the opening of the pocket that he could use it if he needed to.

Bruce returned and they had just finished packing the bag when the CPS officials came back upstairs to take Dick away. Dick clung to Bruce, forcing them to use all their strength to yank them apart.

Even then, Dick refused to go willingly, digging his feet in and fighting tooth and nail in an effort to make them change their minds.

It didn't work. The CPS officials took him to the police station and then to a home where he would be kept for three days. When Bruce failed to prove he was a responsible parent within that time, the CPS officials took him to the train station and then on a train to Metropolis where a man had agreed to adopt him. By then, Dick had run out of juice to fight back with. He just sat curled up on floor of whatever home or on the seat of whatever vehicle he was in at the moment.

It wasn't until he got to the center where they would be meeting his new adoptive father that the fight came back.

After all, there was no _way_ he was going to allow _Lex Luthor_ to adopt him.

His mind raced for an excuse as he begged the CPS officials not to leave him with the evil businessman. He was making quite a scene, but he didn't care as long as he didn't have to go with Luthor.

The CPS official spoke to him in a sickeningly sweet voice, telling him Luthor would take good care of him and that no harm would befall him under Luthor's care. Dick didn't believe those words one bit, but he couldn't successfully flee without his vision, so he continued screaming and struggling, attracting a large crowd.

Finally, Luthor and the CPS were forced to give in to the boy's demands. No one could adopt a boy who refused to be adopted.

He was instead sent to a nice orphanage in the outskirts of Metropolis.


	3. Chapter 3

Dick stayed still, curled up in a ball, while a couple of older boys beat him with sticks and verbally abused him.

"You're so pathetic! I bet your guardian didn't even want to keep you!" Bully One taunted.

"And that whole stunt with Lex Luthor! That was ridiculous! Why would _anyone_ refuse to be adopted by Lex Luthor?!" Bully Two growled.

Bully One kicked Dick, who was still ignoring them. "Hey! Get up and fight, loser! We know you can!"

Dick mumbled something they couldn't quite make out, something about not fighting civilians.

"Newsflash, Brat! You're a civilian, too!" Bully Two hissed, obviously offended. "And a _blind_ one at that!" The bullies resumed hitting him with sticks.

"Hey!" Dick was startled when the Orphanage Manager stepped in. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The two bullies dropped their sticks and ran off.

"I'll discipline them later… Are you alright, Richard?" The Orphanage Manager asked.

"I'm fine, Mrs. B. I've dealt with worse." Dick replied.

Mrs. B. scowled. "Not what I like to hear. Your former guardian pitted you against too much if you've had worse than that."

"No he didn't! It was my choice! He would've been much happier if I stayed home!" Dick snapped, angry at _anyone_ who dared to say Bruce had done him wrong.

"You're taking the wrong attitude with this. You should be glad the CPS took you away from there."

"Better that home than no home at all!"

" _This_ is your home for now."

"No! This is an orphanage! This isn't anywhere _close_ to my home!"

"Is something the problem, Mrs. Bleufield?"

Dick's head snapped up at the familiar voice.

Mrs. Bleufield sighed. "Richard's being difficult. We'll be inside in a minute, Mr. Allen."

Dick stood up, silently and gloomily. He knew why Barry was here. It had been all over the news last night that the court had denied Bruce any communication with or guardianship over Dick.

"Listen up, Richard. I don't want a repeat of what happened with Mr. Luthor, or Mrs. Bell, _or_ Mr. Wilson. This man and his wife have been kind enough to offer to take you in after all the trouble you've caused, so be nice." Mrs. Bleufield commanded.

Dick wasn't intimidated, but he allowed Mrs. Bleufield to lead him into the office anyways. At least it wasn't another enemy of the Justice League. Three had tried to take him in already: Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, and Deathstroke. Lex Luthor had tried to use his influence to overpower Dick's decision, Queen Bee had tried to force him to agree using her powers, and Deathstroke had nearly been arrested for losing his patience. None of them had been a fun experience, and, more importantly, none of them had succeeded.

After Dick was seated, Mrs. Bleufield spoke. "Richard, this is Mr. and Mrs. Allen. They've come all the way from Central City in hopes of taking you in. Can you give them a chance?"

"I don't want to go with anyone but Bruce." Dick repeated the same words he'd said in every adoption meeting since he'd been taken from Bruce. Despite the fact he knew Barry and Iris Allen, he wasn't going to let them take him in without effort. He wouldn't let _anyone_ , sans Bruce, take him in without effort.

To his surprise, Barry, not Mrs. Bleufield, was the one to reply, putting a hand on Dick's shoulder while doing so. "We're aware of that, Kiddo. Unfortunately, the court has spoken against that wish. We're here to offer an alternative. It can be temporary, if you'd like. Should Mr. Wayne get permission to take you back, we won't stop him, but, for now, we'd like to take care of you. What do you say?"

"You… you'd give me back to Bruce if legally permitted?" Dick acted shocked. In reality, he was only slightly surprised. Barry and Bruce _were_ pretty good friends after all.

"That's correct. We're not the kind that would force you to do anything against your will. We're not going to make you come with us. You can if you want to, though. I don't think many others will come along with the same opinions." Barry continued.

Iris interrupted. "We also have a nephew that's not much older than you. He's a really good kid and I'm sure he'd help you adjust."

"So what do you say, Richard? Will you come home with us?" Barry finished.

Dick pretended to think it over. He could practically feel Mrs. Bleufield's eyes boring into him.

"I guess so. But you have to promise you'll give me back to Bruce if the court will let you, okay?"

"Got it." Barry agreed.

"We promise." Iris put in.

"Alright. I'll start the process and he can come home with you in a few days." Mrs. Bleufield said. She was relieved someone had managed to win him over; Dick could hear it in her voice.

Dick stayed sitting, silent, as Mrs. Bleufield wished Barry and Iris farewell and promised to let them know when Dick could go home with them. He continued to sit silently as Mrs. Bleufield begged him not to mess this up before finally getting up to allow her to lead him back to his dormitory.

His thoughts wandered to Bruce. He figured the man was taking this even worse than he was. He was probably planning to appeal the decision. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about his father figure. He wanted to go home. Back to Wayne Manor, to Gotham. He wanted to eat Alfred's cookies and be comforted by Bruce. To go on patrol with Batman and to be assigned missions with his team.

He knew things would never be the same as they were before he was blinded or before Batman and Robin's identities were revealed. But gosh, he really wanted to go home. Barry and Iris had always been kind to him, and he'd rather be put with them than with a stranger or, worse, a criminal, but they weren't Bruce _or_ Alfred. They would never replace his second family and he was sure they knew that.

"Don't cry, Richard. You're going to a new home. You should be happy." Mrs. Bleufield scolded lightly as they reached the teen boys' dormitory.

"I want to go home. I want to see Bruce again." Dick murmured, even though he knew Mrs. Bleufield would disapprove.

Sure enough, she wasn't at all pleased with his response. "That man should have been charged with child endangerment for what he did to you. I'm upset he didn't. Don't think about him. He's a bad influence."

"He's a better influence than you." Dick hissed under his breath.

"What was that, Richard?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone." They had reached his bed by then so he didn't need her help anymore.

"I'll bring you your dinner in an hour. Do some studying until then." Mrs. Bleufield shoved a Braille book into Dick's hands.

Dick sighed and opened the book as the clicking of Mrs. Bleufield's heels proved she was leaving the dormitory. His fingers read that it was math, but it didn't delight him like it might've back at Wayne Manor. For one thing, the level was wrong, so the math was too easy. These people didn't quite believe he was at the level he'd risen to at Gotham Academy. They didn't even know what a mathlete was. Sighing again, he put the book aside and groped about for a different one. His efforts were finally rewarded when his hands landed on a Chemistry book. At least they believed he knew that subject well enough.

He thought of Wally as he perused the Chemistry book. Did Wally miss him? Did he know his uncle was adopting Dick? Wally had promised to help him learn Braille, but he no longer knew where Dick was, so he couldn't keep that promise right now. Dick still struggled a little with putting together the words. No one at the orphanage was willing to help him, so he wasn't even sure he was reading it right. For example, he thought he had just read Chlroine. But that was supposed to be Chlorine, right? Argh! Had he mixed up his r's and his o's again? He'd been struggling with those letters back when he was studying with Wally, and still hadn't managed to fully learn the difference between them. He also mixed up his r's and w's. R was just a really tricky letter for him.

He closed the book and tossed it aside, flopping down on his bed and groaning when he heard the book knock down a lamp. It was too early for the lamp to be on, so he doubted it would cause a fire. The lightbulb sounded like it shattered though.

He dozed for a while, waking up briefly to eat dinner and then fully get in bed.

His dreams were full of memories of his time with Batman. He woke up as distraught as when he was first separated from Bruce, and the mood didn't go away over the next few days. It didn't even go away when Barry and Iris finally arrived to take him to their home. He just kept thinking of his mentor and how much he wanted to see him.

"We're here." Iris told him after a three hour car ride to Central City.

Dick nodded silently and got up slowly, feeling his way out of the car. Iris gently took his hand and led him into the house.

Up ahead, he could hear Wally asking Barry where he'd been all day.

Barry just answered, "Busy." Dick could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

So Wally hadn't been told? Interesting, but not surprising.

Dick knew when Wally noticed him because he heard a hint of a gasp and then two arms were wrapped around him.

"Dick! I thought I'd never see you again!" Wally cried in Dick's ear.

"I'll never see you again…" Dick murmured.

Wally allowed a half-groan, half-chuckle to escape his mouth. "You know what I mean!"

Dick just shrugged.

"What are you doing here?" Wally asked. "Not that I'm disappointed to see you or anything. I'm just curious."

Iris answered for him. "Dick agreed to let us care for him until Bruce can win him back through the court system. We had to go through the orphanage to do so, so legally he's adopted. But we are a hundred percent willing to forsake that should Bruce win his rights back."

Dick felt Wally nod. The older boy released him from the hug and led him over to the couch.

"I was wondering why Uncle Barry had started buying books in Braille. It probably should have been obvious. Oh well."

Dick felt a breeze and knew Wally had just sped off. He returned less than a second later.

"Let's see! We've got some literature, some math, a little bit of science… Oh! I forgot about that Braille phone I bought online! It came in the day after… Anyways, it's at home! I'll bring it later!"

"Is the math book the right level?" Dick asked.

"I don't know. Differential Equations? Vector Calculus? Does that sound about right?"

"Thank god. The orphanage didn't give me the right level. It was too easy."

"Define easy."

"Single-Variable Calculus."

"For you, that is definitely easy."

"I'm still having trouble with my r's. The people at the orphanage weren't very helpful."

"Okay! Let's have a study session right here right now!"

Dick felt the couch shift as Wally plopped down on it. He stayed still, not reacting.

"Hey… What's the matter?"

Dick sighed. "Stupid question, Wally."

"Yeah. You're right," Wally admitted, "But I don't know the right thing to say."

"I just want Bruce."

"I know, Dude. I'd feel the same if I was separated from my family."

"Do you know how he's been doing? I mean, he's not allowed to contact me, so I wouldn't know."

"Hard to say. No one's seen Batman since you were taken away. Bruce has been seen, but only to run his business and attend court sessions related to you. Hasn't been to any fancy schticks and there's rumors he's not planning to hold any anytime soon."

"What do you mean no one's seen Batman? Are you saying he gave it up? That's impossible! Surely..."

"Crooks are running wild in Gotham, Dick. Crime rate's shot up since CPS took you. The supervillains are doing everything they can to gain Batman's attention, but no one has seen him stopping any crimes, much less dealing with the Gotham rogue gallery."

"That... that can't be... I don't believe you!"

"It's true, Dick. So true that other heroes have started frequenting Gotham to try to calm the chaos, and Batman hasn't even tried to stop them. Uncle Barry's gone several times and I know the League has tried to contact Batman. Uncle B says Batman never answers his com link anymore. He tried calling the manor and Alfred answered. Uncle Barry could hear Bruce say in the background, 'If it's a Justice Leaguer, hang up.' The League's tried everything. They suspect Bruce may have started blocking their numbers."

"I... I need to tell him to stop avoiding the League and to go back to being Batman! Gotham needs him! I..."

"You said it yourself, Dick. You're not allowed contact with him. If… if someone finds out we let you talk to him..." Wally left the sentence open-ended. Dick knew what he meant by it. If the Allens let him talk to Bruce and CPS found out, he could be taken away again, and he may not get another chance at relative safety.

"Is there really nothing we can do?" He whispered.

"You know as well as I do that Bruce is stubborn. He's making a stand and he's not about to end it just because we told him to. We also know he's doing this in an effort to get you back. And you can't deny that you want to go back yourself. Any efforts on your part wouldn't convince him either. He'd just think we told you to try to stop him. Then he'd be even angrier at us."

Dick fidgeted a little. "What do you think will happen if they never let me go back? Will Bruce give up Batman forever?"

"For you, there's no saying what he'd do."

A strained silence spread between them, lasting a few minutes before being broken by Wally.

"Let's work on reading some Literature, okay? We've got _The Lord of the Flies_ , _Catch 22_ , and _Fahrenheit 451._ You pick."

" _Fahrenheit 451_ ," Dick chose.

Wally placed the book in his hands and they started working on reading it. Dick read the letters and words out loud while Wally helped out using a chart that listed the English letters and numbers next to their Braille equivalents.

They continued like that for a while before Iris called them for dinner.

"I cooked one of your favorites, Dick. With a lot extra for Wally and Barry of course," She informed them. "I may not be Alfred, but I hope you like the food."

Dick thanked her as Wally helped him into a chair at the table. He hadn't been eating a lot since he had been taken from Bruce, but the home-cooked meal brought back his appetite long enough for him to eat it.

Halfway through the meal, Barry turned to Dick. "I found a gym not far from here with acrobatic equipment, I thought we could head over tomorrow and sign some forms to let you and Wally join the gym. That way, you could relearn your family's act."

Dick began crying at the idea. He felt Wally touch his shoulder gently and maneuver him into a hug.

"It'll be okay, Dick. Uncle B's looking out for you. We'll all help you out, okay?"

Dick nodded, still sobbing into Wally's chest.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Barry brought Dick to a day school for blind kids in order to sign him up. Dick was a little uncomfortable with the thought of being away from Barry and Iris and Wally half of each day now that he couldn't take care of himself as easily, but he agreed that the blind school could teach him more than Wally could, especially in terms of how to perform everyday tasks after losing your eyesight.

Wally had brought the braille flip phone he'd bought over that morning before he went to his own school. Dick had that in his pant pocket and the emergency 'contact the Justice League' device in a hidden pocket in his jacket.

Barry was currently talking to an administrator about when Dick could start. Dick tightened his grip on his current guardian when he heard the word 'today'.

"Don't be scared, Dick," Barry told him, noticing the firmer grip, "The teachers here can help you and they won't let anything happen to you."

Dick was silent. He didn't loosen his grip.

Barry gently pried him off. "Iris, Wally, or I will come to pick you up later. Then, we'll go to that gym I mentioned last night, okay?"

Dick still didn't say anything as Barry gently guided his hand over to someone Dick assumed was a teacher.

"I've got to go now. You'll see me later, okay?" Barry then spoke to the teacher. "Take good care of him."

Dick listened to his familiar footfalls walk away. He knew he shouldn't be scared. He was Robin, for heaven's sake! But he still couldn't shake the feeling of fear that came when he didn't know anyone near him, when he couldn't _see_ to recognize the people around him.

He'd managed to keep it at bay at the orphanage, where he knew he wasn't anywhere near safety, but once he was back with people he knew, he was too frightened to really leave them.

"Come now, Richard. There's no need to be scared. We don't bite." The teacher spoke in soft tones to him, as if comforting a frightened toddler.

Dick wasn't a toddler. He needed to act his age. He squared his shoulders back and followed the teacher's pulls, pushing his fear deep down where no one could see it.

After introduction to his class, Dick was led to a desk and given a book for learning to write Braille. Barry had explained to the administrator that Dick had been learning how to read it. Dick guessed learning to write it was important too, hence why he'd been given this book.

The morning lessons were pretty basic: reading, writing, math, science. Dick was glad to find out his transcript had been forwarded from Gotham Academy, and that these people actually believed what was written on it.

The afternoon lessons were the tough part. Dick was in a class for the newly blinded. They were learning to find their way around the school using snaps, claps, and echoes. Of course, this lesson consisted of a lot of bumping into things, especially each other.

Dick was feeling much better by the time the school day came to a close.

He recognized Iris's footfalls when he was waiting to be picked up. He had noticed the place get quiet by the time she came.

"Hi. Iris West-Allen. Sorry I'm late. My husband was supposed to pick Richard up, but something came up at work and he won't be able to leave for a while."

"It's fine, Mrs. Allen. Just don't make a habit of it, okay?"

"Dick, are you ready to go?" Iris gently placed a hand on Dick's shoulder. Recognizing the touch, Dick stood up and grabbed a bag of books lent to him by the school. "How was your day?"

"Can we go to that gym now?"

Iris laughed as she led him out of the school. "The plan is to meet Barry and Wally there in a bit. We're going to sneak some ice cream beforehand. How does that sound?"

"Alfred wouldn't approve," Dick teased. Then, realizing what he'd said, he went silent.

"We don't have to if you don't want to…" Iris offered hesitantly.

"No. It's okay. I just… I miss them…"

"I know, Dick. There's not much we can do right now. You know Bruce is doing everything in his power to get you back."

"I know. But it's not fast enough. It's been over a month!"

"I realize that, Dick. I'm sure Bruce is impatient to reunite too."

They climbed into the car and drove to the ice cream parlor in silence.

Shortly after they climbed out and went inside, one of Iris's coworkers approached them.

"Iris! Fancy seeing you here!" The coworker exclaimed. "Who are you here with? I don't see Wally for once."

Dick snorted. Of course she'd been here with Wally, knowing his unending appetite.

The coworker took notice of him. "Oh my. Is that Richard Grayson?"

Dick edged closer to where he knew Iris to be.

Iris nodded, pulling Dick to her side. His judgement on where she was had been a little off. "Dick, this is Pete, my editor. Pete, meet Dick."

"It's nice to meet you sir." Dick said, judging him to be in front of him based on Iris's orientation.

"A pleasure. I'm terribly sorry about what happened to you."

"Don't mention it. I mean it. Don't."

Dick felt a rush of wind behind him. The next thing he knew, he heard Wally ordering ice cream.

He turned his head in Wally's direction and heard the boy trail off awkwardly before picking up the ordering again with renewed, albeit fake, vigor.

"Will that be all for you, Kid Flash?" The vendor asked when he finally finished.

"Yep! Basically one of every flavor!" Wally chirped.

"I'll have the same." Barry put in.

"Alright. Two of every flavor, coming right up."

Dick heard Wally and Barry slide into a booth behind them. Once he and Iris ordered, they took a seat at a table nearby Wally and Barry.

Dick turned his head in their direction like a glance before whispering to Iris, " _Now_ can we go to the gym?"

He heard Iris shake her head in amusement. "Let's wait for our ice cream first, okay Dick?"

He could hear Wally say something at superspeed, probably so others couldn't understand. Dick understood it to be along the lines of "Can I talk to him?"

Barry also spoke at superspeed, but Dick had been interacting with speedsters long enough to know it was an answer in the negative and something about drawing attention.

Wally and Barry were served first, having ordered first, and were probably somewhere around halfway through their ice cream by the time Dick and Iris got theirs.

By the time Dick was done with his ice cream, they were gone.

Outside, in the car, Iris assured him the two would meet them at the gym.

Dick couldn't see the gym when they got there, but, once Iris turned the car off, he could hear the sound of acrobats, the sound of hands meeting trapeze bars, flips through the air, and hands clasping each other as one acrobat caught another.

"Fancy seeing you here." Barry joked.

"You excited, Dick?" Wally asked.

Dick nodded vigorously. He was going to get to fly again. He couldn't wait.

The first few tries ended in failure. He tried to flip, but couldn't get to the second bar.

The owner didn't seem to believe he could do it and neither did any of the other acrobats using the gym. That fact just made Dick try harder.

For the next two weeks, he went to the gym every day after school with Wally. Both tried their best to learn the beginning techniques.

Dick was not happy to be stuck in the beginner class. He was not a beginner at acrobatics. He just needed some extra help to do the tricks.

Finally, exactly two weeks after starting at the gym, Dick figured it out. He tuned out the chatter below him, disbelievers who couldn't believe the blind boy would be able to do it, and focused solely on the sounds of the trapeze. He ignored jeers to "Just go already" and listened really hard.

At the exact right moment, he leaped off the platform. He let go of the first bar. His hands hit the second bar. He swung to the platform on the other end.

Exhilarated, he scrambled down the ladder, not noticing the complete silence that had fallen on his classmates, only one or two of whom had reached the second platform.

"I did it! Wally, I did it!" He shouted with glee.

"I knew you could!" Wally replied, hugging him.

"So he managed to do it once. Big deal. It's not like he could replicate it." Both boys froze at the sound of one of the more snooty of the beginners. Their other classmates murmured agreement.

"That's not nice." The teacher scolded. "If you can do it once, you can do it again."

"Yeah? He's blind! He can't do it more than once! None of us can!" The snooty girl retorted.

The teacher sighed. "Dick, would you like to prove them wrong?"

Dick gulped. "Y-yeah. Okay."

Wally grabbed his shoulder as he started forward and whispered in his ear. "You can do it. Try adding a flip this time."

Dick smiled, slightly more confident with Wally's encouragement.

He found his way to the ladder and climbed up to the platform. This time, everyone was quiet, watching him judgingly.

"Add a flip this time." Dick whispered to himself. "That'll prove them wrong."

Gulping again, he listened to the trapeze, listening for the alignment he needed. Then, he jumped off the platform, and, at the right point, let go of the first bar.

One. Two. Three flips. His hands grasped the second bar and he swung to the far platform. He didn't want to try for the quadruple right now. He felt he wasn't ready to try that blind yet.

He could feel his classmates' stares of disbelief as he climbed down from the platform.

"I said one flip, but I guess three works too." Wally teased. Dick smiled in his direction.

"Impossible!" The snooty girl hissed.

"That was amazing." Two or three other classmates admitted in awe.

"H-how did you do that?" The teacher stammered. "Even I can't do three flips and catch the other bar."

Dick grinned. "I've been on the trapeze since I was three. For me, it was a matter of learning how to do it blindly, not how to do it in general. Once I figured out how to hear the swing of the trapeze, it was easy for me."

"Come on, bro. Let's go home. I think that's enough for today." Wally exclaimed.

Dick nodded eagerly and they walked to Barry and Iris's house, Wally leading the way.

They were about to go through the front door when Dick heard voices inside. Dick pulled Wally to a stop and put a hand over the speedster's mouth.

"It's not that we don't want to care for him, it's that we care about him. We want him to be happy."

"And you think he'd be happy with Wayne? He's safer here."

"I disagree. If Mr. Wayne really is Batman, he'd do everything in his power to keep Dick safe. Even if he's not, he cares a lot about the kid. You've seen how much effort he's put into getting him back."

"Didn't stop the kid from getting blinded."

"You blame Wayne for the Joker's actions? Simply because he wasn't fast enough?"

"If it wasn't for Wayne, Richard wouldn't have been out there to begin with. I'm sure his living situation won't be an issue because the Supreme Court will probably agree with me."

"The case has really gone that high up in the court system?"

"Supposedly, the Supreme Court is agreeing to take the case because it could affect other superheroes in the future. I heard about it at work. The hearing is in a couple of weeks."

Dick turned to Wally and whispered, "Make it look like we just got here."

Wally nodded and practically burst through the front door. "Hey Uncle Barry! Aunt Iris! Guess what happened today at the gym!"

"Wally, I can't find the door." Dick mentioned. He very well could, but he didn't want his social worker to know that.

"Oops! Sorry." Wally reached his arm out and grabbed Dick's hand, leading him in through the door. "Hey. Who's she?"

"Wally, this is Dick's social worker, Ms. Abbotts. Ms. Abbotts, this is my nephew, Wally. He's been a very good friend to Dick since he came here." Barry introduced.

"What's Ms. Abbotts doing here?" Dick asked. "She was just here two weeks ago to check up on how I was adjusting."

"I just needed to discuss something with your foster parents, Richard. Nothing for you to worry yourself over."

"Is it about Bruce? Did he manage to regain custody rights?" Dick pressed with believable eagerness.

"No. And I doubt he will." Ms. Abbotts responded firmly. Dick's facial expression morphed into disappointment and sadness. "Now, I think I've managed to accomplish what I came for. Mr. Allen, Mrs. Allen, Richard, have a nice day. It was nice to meet you, Wally."

Ms. Abbotts left.

"Someone's got a stick up their ass." Wally mumbled to Dick.

"Wally!" Iris admonished. "That is rude."

Dick felt Wally lift his shoulders in a shrug next to him.

"What were you so excited about when you came in?" Barry purposefully changed the subject.

"Dick figured out the trapeze! He really showed those stuck-up seeing acrobats! He did three flips and caught the bar! Three of them!"

"That's fantastic, Dick!" Iris exclaimed. "Hey, aren't you excited?" She had noticed his crestfallen face.

"Do you really think Bruce will never get the rights back?" Dick murmured. He was genuinely curious what they would say, but didn't show it.

"There's no knowing. But the Supreme Court is taking the case. We'll have a final answer in a couple of weeks." Barry replied. "I'm sure they know that whatever they choose will affect heroes everywhere. If they choose wrong, the crime rate could skyrocket due to heroes choosing to hang up their capes."

"Similar to how it has in Gotham," Wally noted.

"So while we're hoping for a thumbs up to send you back to Gotham, there's no saying what will happen until the verdict comes in."

"I hope, for all our sakes, that the ruling is a positive one," Wally mentioned. "If it's not, everyone on the team would be toast. We'd all spend our day to day lives worrying we could be put into the system for helping people."

Dick winced. "I hadn't really thought about how the verdict could affect the team."

"Let's not worry about it right now," Iris jumped in. "For now, let's focus on the smaller things, like Dick's success on the trapeze. That's worth a celebration if you ask me."

* * *

The day had come for the Supreme Court to rule on Bruce and Dick's case. Barry and Iris kept Dick home from the blind kids school that day to "watch" the hearing on television. The Wests were not as generous, so Wally was stuck in his high school while the hearing went on.

Dick ran his fingers over the letters in his textbook as he waited for the hearing to start. The television was turned on to the right channel while Iris made snacks and Barry sat next to Dick on the couch.

Barry touched Dick's arm lightly as the broadcast began. The hearing itself wasn't televised, but there were plenty of reporters standing outside the capitol building speaking about what was going on, what the content of the case was, what the implications of the decision were, and what little snippets were being released.

Iris has just joined them when Dick stiffened.

"I heard something." He whispered.

"What did you hear? It could've just been the television," Barry asked.

"Barry, turn off the TV," Iris hissed.

"What?" Barry didn't get the chance to obey before several of the windows shattered.

Iris dove to the ground, pulling Dick with her. Barry knelt protectively over both of them. The reporter on the television droned on in the background.

"Well, well, well, isn't this precious?" It was Poison Ivy, along with Harley Quinn, Two-face, and Bane.

A vine impaled the TV, effectively cutting off the reception of the broadcast.

"Aww. They're trying to protect the little birdie." Harley Quinn swung her hammer, sending Barry flying into the wall. He struggled back to his feet, but another hit from the hammer knocked him out cold.

"Barry!" Iris cried in horror.

Bane grabbed her by the throat while Two-face flipped a coin.

"Heads. Looks like all three of you are coming with us." Two-face sneered.

Bane choked Iris to the point of unconsciousness before dropping her and approaching Dick, who tried to make himself small against the couch.

"L-leave us alone." Dick stammered.

"No can do, niño. You're coming with us." Bane smirked.

"Leave them." Dick schooled his expression, trying to seem confident, but he was far from confident on his ability to effectively fight blind and it was painstakingly clear to the villains.

"Let's go." Poison Ivy said. "This is the Flash's neighborhood. He could be here fast."

"Harley, pat him down. He could be hiding tech we don't know about."

Dick flipped backwards over the couch and made a run for it. He stuffed his hand into his pocket, located the distress device Bruce had given him, and pressed his finger down on a random symbol, feeling relieved when it wasn't Flash's he pressed.

He didn't get far before slamming his side into a table and falling backwards straight into Bane's arms.

Bane held him tightly, possibly cracking a rib or two, while Harley patted him down and emptied his pockets of anything useful.

Dick futilely tried to keep a hold of the distress beacon, but his grip slipped when Bane tightened his grip.

Dizziness overcame the blind boy as he tried to no avail to struggle out of Bane's grip. The venom-obsessed villain carried the boy out of the house, dropping him after climbing into a van.

The doors were closed just as sirens sounded down the street.

Dick could hear cursing as the van jolted into action, picking up speed quickly. He tried to sit up, but was quickly shoved back down. It was a mere few seconds before a vine wrapped around his ankle and squeezed it till the bone snapped.

Dick screamed. A large hand quickly wrapped around his mouth, muffling the sound.

"How long till the highway?" Poison Ivy demanded.

"Approximately two minutes." Two-face called over his shoulder.

"We'll dump the woman there. The police will have to stop to help her." Poison Ivy decided.

"Ooh! I like that idea!" Harley chimed in.

Dick tried to protest, but the hand, probably Bane's, squeezed his nostrils closed as soon as he tried. He attempted to dislodge the hand by moving his head, but Bane held fast and Dick could feel himself fading from consciousness. He made a small sound before falling limp.


	5. Chapter 5

Wally was in a good mood. He'd watched the verdict come out on his computer (video was on mute) and was happy to know that Dick and Bruce would soon be reunited. He could barely push himself through the rest of the school day, he was so excited.

He was in the middle of his second to last period when he was called to the office. His good mood evaporated when he saw a police officer standing next to his mother and the principal when he got there.

"W-what's going on?" Wally dared not ask the other question on his mind, the 'is anyone dead?' question.

"Wally, honey. Something's happened. Officer Curtis will explain on the way." His mother told him.

Wally just nodded and followed the two adults out of the school and into a police car.

Once they were on the road, Officer Curtis started speaking. "I'm sure you're aware that your aunt and uncle have been fostering Richard Grayson, correct?"

Wally nodded, his worry spiking. "Is he okay? You said something happened. Are they okay?"

"No. Earlier today, they were attacked and abducted by a group we believe to be Gotham supervillains. Your aunt was thrown out of the car during the chase and our officers were forced to halt in order to help her. As of right now, Richard and Barry are still missing. We don't know where the villains have taken them."

Wally didn't know what he'd expected when he'd ask. After all, he wouldn't have been picked up by his mother and a police officer if everything was all right. However, he was not expecting the answer he got.

"Does Bruce Wayne know yet? I was following the case. They said he could have Dick back."

"He has not yet been notified, no. At least, not by us. There is a possibility the Justice League has reached out to him by now. They have also taken on this case due to Richard's connection to them. We believe Richard may have sent them a distress signal at some point during the attack."

Wally nodded numbly. Officer Curtis pulled into a hospital parking lot.

"Is this where Aunt Iris is?" Wally murmured as they got out.

His mother put a hand on his shoulder. When he looked at her, she nodded.

They headed into the hospital, Officer Curtis using his badge to get them in to Iris's hospital room that was currently guarded by police.

Iris had bandages all over her. Even part of her head was bandaged.

"It looks worse than it is," A doctor told them, "Her injuries are spread out. She's pretty banged up, but she should be waking soon."

Mrs. West pulled Wally over to a chair next to the bed and pushed him into it. Wally stayed there while she talked to the doctors in hushed tones.

A soft moan barely reached Wally's ear. He stiffened, knowing she was about to wake up. He watched her face closely, seeing her expression change as she seemed to remember what happened.

She sat up abruptly, her eyes flying open. All attention in the room turned to her.

"W-where…" She began.

"You're at the hospital, Ma'am." An officer answered.

"Barry! And Dick! Are they okay?! Where are they?!" Iris coughed when her exclamations irritated her ribs, one or two of which were broken. "Are they still missing? Are they injured? Oh god. They're not dead, are they?"

"As far as we know, they are not dead. However, they are still missing. We need you to answer some questions for us, okay?"

Iris took a few deep breaths. She glanced at Wally, who was obviously beside himself with worry for all three of them, and then nodded to herself. "What do you need to know?"

"Who attacked you? Did you see any of their faces?"

"Yes. I think it was Poison Ivy, a guy with half of his face burned…"

"Two-Face?" Wally supplied when she stumbled on the name.

"Yes. There were two more. That muscle-y guy with the tube behind his neck?"

"Bane?" An officer offered.

"I think so. And that girl that always is seen with the Joker?"

"Harley Quinn." The officer jotting down notes concluded.

"Yes. Her. They caught us by surprise… mostly. Dick heard something before they broke in, but Barry thought it might just have been the television. I told him to turn off the TV in case whatever Dick heard was something else, but that was when they broke in. That Harley girl knocked Barry out and I remember Bane choking me. Then, I woke up here." Iris's shoulders slumped. "That's all I can remember. I wish I could be of more help."

"That's quite alright, ma'am. You've been very helpful. Leave the search to us, okay? You just worry about recovering." The lead investigator assured her.

"Please find them." The police left, only one or two officers staying behind in case someone tried to attack Iris again.

"Wally, you should go over to your friends' place. Maybe they can distract you." Iris said.

"But…" Wally knew what she meant. She was asking him to go help the League with the search. But he didn't want to just leave her.

"Go, Wally. I'll keep Iris company. We'll be fine." His mother clearly approved of Iris's request, so Wally slumped his shoulders and left the room, headed straight to Mount Justice.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't tell me where Dick is?! They said I could have him back! I want my son back!" Bruce shouted at the officer. He was holding in tears. After everything he'd gone through in order to retrieve his son, they still wouldn't let him reunite with him?

"Mr. Wayne." Bruce turned to see Wonder Woman and Superman entering the police station. Diana placed a hand on his shoulder. "He can't tell you because he doesn't know, because none of us know."

"W-what do you mean?" Bruce asked, cursing himself for stammering.

"During the hearing, we got a distress call from Dick," Superman explained. "We rushed there, but we were too late. Bruce, Dick has been kidnapped, along with one of the two individuals fostering him."

"Who was abducted along with him?"

"Barry Allen."

* * *

Dick could feel someone shaking him. He could hear someone hissing his name. His drowsy mind told him he should probably wake up, but his body begged for a few more minutes of sleep.

Unfortunately, the shaking didn't cease and he found himself slowly dragged out of a blissful, ignorant slumber.

He moaned and swatted away the hands that were shaking him.

"Dick, are you awake?" He recognized the voice to be Barry's.

"I don't want to go to school today..." Dick groaned.

"I wish that was why I was waking you, but we've been abducted."

Dick shot up at the words. Although he couldn't see anything, he easily took note of his surroundings. A whirring sound alerting him to machinery. The smell of salt in the air proved they were near the sea. Central City didn't have a sea nearby though. The scent of oil also hit his nose. Probably related to the machinery.

"How long have I been out?"

"At least a day longer than me. They must've given you multiple sedatives. I know they gave me a second one at one point when they saw I was awake. I was careful not to let it show after that."

"Where are they now?" Dick asked.

"Beats me. They've got to be here somewhere, but escape won't be easy."

Dick easily read between the lines. "They broke one of your ankles or legs?"

"Both of them. Which means we're both disabled at the moment."

Dick moved his legs slightly. Pain shot through his right ankle. He could feel a tight metal cuff around the swollen area.

"My right one as well. Leaves little chance of us getting out without help. Or at least getting out soon without help."

The swish of a door opening, barely audible above the sound of the machinery, caught Dick's attention.

"Someone's coming." He hissed.

"Right you are, bird boy." A childish voice sneered.

Dick gasped. "Klarion."

"Hmm. Seems the child doesn't need his eyesight to identify us." Another voice calmly noted.

"Savage… What do you want with me?"

"It's foolish for you to assume I'd reveal my plans to you. All in due time, child. All in due time." Footsteps approached. Savage was coming for him.

Barry's strong arms wrapped around him. "Leave him alone!"

"Klarion, take care of Mr. Allen for me, will you?"

"My pleasure." Klarion's grin could be heard in his voice. "Teekl, be a dear and teach that old coot a lesson."

Barry screamed as Teekl bit into one of his broken legs and tossed him across the room, the chains keep him from going far.

"No!" Dick shouted. "Leave him alone!"

"Oh. But the Gotham villains still have plans for him. We just have to return him to them. Klarion?"

Wind reached Dick's ears and he realized Klarion had opened a portal. In an instant, he could no longer hear Barry's groans of pain or grumbling stomach.

"Now that the extra baggage is gone, let's be on our way." Savage unlocked the cuff around Dick's broken ankle. Dick whipped around, kicking Savage in the face, and then made a run for it. He was almost immediately tackled by Teekl.

"Aw. Leaving so soon?" Klarion whined. "We're just getting started."

Dick coughed up some blood as Teekl eased off him and Vandal Savage cuffed his wrists behind his back. Savage also placed a collar around his neck. Dick didn't have time to wonder what it was for before the immortal tested it out.

"Aaaaaaaahhh!" Dick cried out as the electricity coursed through his body. He could barely breathe by the time it stopped.

"Just a little warning, child. Don't try that again," Savage breathed into his ear before grabbing his right arm.

Heat swept over the blind boy and he assumed it meant they had gone through another of Klarion's portals.

"I see you've brought the boy." He recognized Queen Bee's voice. "The Apocalyptans have sent through the necessary technology. It is being put together as we speak."

"It was supposed to be ready by today."

"Today still has four hours until sunset. The tech should be ready in two."

Dick struggled. "No!" Electricity once again shot through his body.

"I did not give you permission to speak, child." Savage scowled. "How soon can we begin preparations?"

"One hour."

"Klarion, you can play with the boy until we are ready. Remember that we want him relatively healthy for the procedure."

"Oh goodie! Let's have some fun! Shall we, boy wonder?"

Dick refused to respond. Another shock hit him.

"You were asked a question, Richard."

Dick felt tears spring to the surface as his lips formed a response for him. "I decided not to answer." Yet another shock.

"Do not sass me. Klarion, take him away."

"Yes, sirree! C'mon, Teekl!"

As Teekl dragged him off by the cuff of his shirt, Dick internally prayed he'd be found in time, even though he knew how unlikely it was that he would be.


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/n) First rewritten chapter (A/n)**

It had been almost a year since Richard had been abducted by the Light. Nobody, not the Justice League, any of their allies, nor any individuals willing to report it, had seen hide nor hair of him since.

The victory of the Supreme Court case had been hard won, and there were worries that the United Nations' International Court would reverse it or null the charter that allowed the Justice League to operate outside the United States. So far, they hadn't, but it was still a legitimate worry.

Bruce had been distraught over the lack of news concerning his son. After he had fought so hard to get Dick back, the boy was still out of reach.

Barry Allen had been found two months after the abduction, barely holding on to life. The four Gotham villains had done a real number on him, but he'd managed to heal okay once he was home safe. His struggle with faking that the injuries were still there was a story for another day.

Wally and the team had been searching nonstop for their blind friend, with no results.

They could only hope that, when they found him, he would still be alive.

* * *

Dick could hear voices. Faint voices, but still voices.

"He's clearly a prisoner. And a prisoner of Apokolips at that. We can't leave him."

"We should be concerned with getting ourselves out first."

"It seems Moonrider has made the decision for us. He is waking up."

"Apokolips? Moonrider?" Dick tried to remember where he'd heard those names before, but couldn't at the moment.

"Are you okay?"

Realizing they were speaking directly to him now, Dick replied. "I… where am I? Who are you?"

"I'm Dreamer. This is Moonrider, Seraphin, Bear, and our leader Vykin." A female replied.

"I… I've heard your names before. I don't remember where. Also, I can't see you. I was blinded a while back."

"Can you walk?" Dreamer asked.

"I… don't know. Even if I can, I won't be able to travel very quickly. You might have to carry me." Dick paused. "But please don't leave me! I want to go home! I don't want to be stuck here!"

"Rest assured, we will not leave you. What is your name?"

"Richard. Richard Grayson."

"And where is home for you, Richard?"

"Gotham City." Dick said automatically, before remembering that might not be his home anymore depending on what the Supreme Court had decided.

"I have not heard of this 'Gotham City.' Tell me, is it near New Genesis?"

"New Genesis?" Dick murmured. "Is that… a city?" He racked his head for where he'd heard tell of all these names before.

"No. It's a planet." Another voice said.

"Planet? Oh! I'm from Earth!"

"We know of Earth. Our friend Superboy lives there."

"Superboy? Oh! That makes sense!"

"What makes…" An explosion cut Dreamer off. Dick guessed it was her arms that scooped him up seconds later.

"Richard, we must fight our way out. Help if you can, but stay out of our way if you can't."

Dick heard a lot of fighting sounds as they fought their way out of the facility. At one point, one of his rescuers mentioned something called "Infinity-man", but the suggestion was shot down as a risk they could not take.

"I found Mother Box!" Dreamer shouted later on. "Vykin! Catch!"

Vykin presumably caught it and then formed some kind of portal that they took out of there.

Dick breathed a sigh of relief after some warmth washed over them and all sounds of fighting faded away.

"We made it!" One of his rescuers cheered.

"Made it where?" Dick dared to ask.

"We're back on New Genesis," Dreamer explained. "Worry not. After our doctors check you over, we will take you home to Earth. Our friend Superboy may be able to help us find your Gotham City."

Dick nodded in compliance. It couldn't hurt to have their doctor check him over. After all, they had helped Superboy, Wolf, and Sphere. And they had rescued him from that Apokolips place. His gut instinct said they could be trusted. He always trusted his gut.

His legs were shaking as he tried to walk on them, but Dreamer helped him stay upright.

The doctor checked him over swiftly until she caught sight of his eyes. She winced.

"I can give you some meds to ease the pain from your eyes, but it looks like an old injury. I doubt I can fix them."

Dick shrugged. "I've come to terms with it. I'm gonna be blind for the rest of my life. It doesn't hurt much anymore."

"Alright. Well. You're free to go. I'm sure the Forever People will ensure your safe return home."

"Thank you."

Dreamer gently guided him to a vehicle and helped him climb in. "The Mother Box has contacted the New Genesphere, or Sphere as Superboy calls her. She'll bring Superboy to us as soon as we reach Earth."

Dick found he was nervous. He didn't know how long he'd been gone or what had happened since he'd been pushed into that pod and sedated. He didn't know how he'd ended up on Apokolips, only that the Light had something to do with it. He also was afraid of being unable to return to Bruce. What would happen if Bruce had been denied contact with him and then they came into contact at Mount Justice? Would Bruce get in trouble? He squared his shoulders and put on a brave face. It was time to go home.


	7. Chapter 7

Sphere rolled up to where the Team was moping about on the one year anniversary of Richard's abduction by the light. She was chittering excitedly.

Connor turned to her when she wouldn't leave them alone. "What is it, Sphere?"

Sphere nudged him and rolled away a bit before rolling back a tad.

"Okay. Who wants a slight distraction from moping to find out what Sphere wants?" Connor grumbled.

"I'll go." Artemis agreed. "A distraction sounds refreshing."

When no one else chimed in, the two followed Sphere to the hangar, Wolf tagging along behind them, where Sphere transformed into the Supercycle.

"Red Tornado, the hangar doors, please." Connor called after they all climbed onto the Supercycle.

Once the doors were open, they sped off into the sky.

They'd traveled a ways down the Eastern seaboard and were somewhere off the coast of North Carolina, when the Supercycle slowed to a stop and landed on the shore.

Artemis, Connor, and Wolf climbed out. The Supercycle transformed back into Sphere and rolled up next to them.

"Why have you taken us here, girl?" Connor asked.

Sphere chittered just as the Forever People landed in front of them.

"Guess that's why," Artemis commented offhandedly.

"Hello Friend Superboy! The Forever People are happy to see you again!" Bear said.

"Hey. This is my teammate Artemis. Might I ask if there is a reason you called us here?" Connor inquired.

"As a matter of fact, we'd appreciate some assistance," Vykin said. "We found a human held captive on Apokolips. We thought maybe you could help him get home."

"Sure." Artemis agreed swiftly. "We wouldn't mind." Connor looked at her, so she defended. "It's not like we were doing anything else today anyways."

Dreamer was helping someone out of their vehicle. From the angle, it was difficult for Connor and Artemis to tell who.

"What were you doing on Apokolips? Aren't they your enemies?" Connor asked.

"The Forever People were unfortunately also being held prisoner." Bear explained. "We managed to escape and found Richard on our way out."

"Wait! Did you say Richard?!" Artemis cut in.

"You know him?" Vykin asked.

A smaller voice jumped in. "They do."

Artemis was running the moment she caught sight of the boy beside Dreamer. She scooped him into a hug, overly relieved to see him.

"Ack! You're crushing me!" Dick exclaimed.

"You have no idea how happy we are you found him." Connor explained. "He's been missing for a year now. Kidnapped by our enemies."

"Your enemies?" Vykin questioned.

"Yes. On second thought, that could mean our enemies and yours are working together now." Connor frowned. "Regardless, we're very grateful you brought him home."

"You've helped us before, Superboy. Consider the gift reciprocated." Dreamer replied.

Connor smiled. "Come on, Artemis. The others need to know about this."

Sphere transformed back into the Supercycle and Artemis helped Richard in, making sure he was secure before getting into her own seat.

"Thank you!" Richard called to the Forever People. "Thank you so much!"

The Forever People waved as the Supercycle took off and flew back toward Mount Justice.

"Artemis, do you have your comm unit?" Connor asked.

"Yeah. I'll call Batman." Artemis caught his drift immediately.

"Wait. Batman?" Richard interrupted. "Does that mean I can go back to Batman?!"

"That's right. You were kidnapped before the Supreme Court case's results came out. Yeah. They said you could go home as long as Batman did his part to bring down the crime rate in Gotham without killing anyone," Artemis told him. She was met with a look of utter delight on Richard's face. "On to the call..." She activated her Comm Unit. "Artemis to Batman."

" _Is it important_?" Batman asked.

"Very. Can you meet us at Mount Justice in..." She glanced at Connor.

"Twenty minutes if we push it." Connor informed her, speeding up.

"In twenty minutes?" Artemis finished.

" _Fine. Batman out._ "

"He'll be there." Artemis informed her companions.

Richard just grinned.

* * *

"Recognized: Batman 02."

Batman stepped out into the cave that was Mount Justice.

The team looked up when he walked into the living room.

"Hello Batman. We weren't expecting to see you today." Aqualad said quietly.

"Artemis called. She said it was important." Batman grunted.

"Well, she didn't clue us in. She left with Superboy a little over an hour ago because Sphere wanted to show him something." Kid Flash told him.

"Well, it seems it's not that important if she didn't tell you what was going on." Batman grumbled. "I'll be on my way. Tell her to tell me what it is next time if it's really important."

He started towards the Zeta Tubes. Superboy darted in his path when he was about to step in.

"Wait!" He cried.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "You said it was important. It doesn't appear to be."

"Important doesn't always mean life-threatening," Superboy retorted, still blocking the way to the Zeta Tubes.

Batman leveled him with a batglare. "Get out of my way."

"No." Superboy stood his ground.

Just when Batman was about to start shouting, they both heard gasps from the living room.

"Where's Batman?" Artemis's voice traveled loudly and clearly.

"Uh. I think he was leaving. Sorry. We didn't know." Kid Flash replied.

A few seconds later, Artemis made it to where Superboy and Batman were standing.

"Uh. Batman. It's important. I swear!" Artemis exclaimed.

"Get on with it." Batman growled.

Kid Flash sped into the room and dropped his armful of Robin. "They found him! They found him!"

"Technically, the Forever People found him." Superboy corrected.

Batman knelt beside the boy, scarcely believing his eyes. "Robin?"

Robin beamed and threw his arms around him. "Batman!"

Batman hugged him tightly, barely keeping himself from crying at the sight of his bird. He stood up with the boy still wrapped in his arms. Just before the Zeta Tube whisked them away, he said, "Thank you."

Artemis, Kid Flash, and Superboy smiled, happy that the two were reunited at last.

"Wait. Did he just actually thank us?"

* * *

Alfred dropped his tray when he heard the designations in the Batcave.

Batman set Dick on the ground. The boy listened for a second then bolted straight for Alfred.

Alfred quickly stepped over the mess and intercepted him. "Master Dick?"

"Alfred! I missed you so much!" Dick exclaimed.

"Is it really you, Master Dick?"

Dick caught the slight disbelief. "If Bruce wants to run some tests, I'm okay with it."

"We're going to do just that," Batman confirmed.

Alfred guided Dick into the medical area of the Batcave, Batman, cowl down, following right behind them.

Dick swung his legs happily as Bruce took blood and ran tests.

"Master Bruce, we may have a problem." Alfred spoke up from where he was watching the results come in from the blood test.

"What is it, Alfred?" Bruce walked over to the older man.

Alfred spoke to him in a hushed tone. Dick could barely make a word out here or there.

"Anomaly… blood… different…"

After a few minutes, Bruce nodded and walked back over to Dick.

"We need to run some more tests. There's an anomaly in your bloodwork."

Dick felt confused and slightly worried. "The Forever People only checked me over. That's it. Do you think it has to do with the Light?"

"I do. Dick, how long were you gone?"

"Don't you already…"

"I want to hear it from you. How long were you aware of being gone between when you were taken from the Allens and when the Forever People rescued you?"

"I…" Dick thought about it. "I can't remember more than a couple days here and there. But maybe it was longer? A couple months maybe?"

"That's what I was afraid of." Bruce scowled. "Dick, the Light had you for exactly a year from the day you were taken from the Allens to today. The fact you don't know how long you were gone is a bad sign. I'm taking you to the… Dick?"

"I'm listening." Dick was on the verge of freaking out. Bruce's sudden halt of speech did nothing to stem the growing flood of panic.

Bruce reached out slowly and touched his shoulder.

"W-what is it?" Dick stammered.

"Dick, you need to calm down," Bruce said, a barely noticeable waver in his voice.

"W-what?" Dick stuttered. "What's wrong?"

Bruce took a deep breath. Dick realized it was to steady himself as well as Dick. "Take some deep breaths, okay? Breathe in 2 3. Hold. Breathe out 2 3 4."

Dick slowly got his breathing under control. He knew he'd been about to panic, but that didn't explain Bruce's reaction.

"Master Bruce…" Alfred began.

"I know. Go call Superman and tell him what just happened. Tell him I'll be up to the Watchtower with Robin in a couple minutes." Bruce didn't take his eyes off Dick as he spoke.

"What's happening? Is something wrong with me?" Dick asked as Alfred hurried away to complete his given task.

"You'll be alright, Dick. Just try and keep control of your emotions, okay?" Bruce helped him off the examination table.

"You're not telling me what happened!" Dick replied, struggling to obey the command to keep his emotions in check.

Bruce stuck a mask on Dick's face and pulled his cowl back over his head. "If I tell you, you'll panic, and that's the last thing we need right now."

"That's not comforting!"

"Would you rather I lied to you?" The Bat kept an arm around Dick's shoulders as he guided him to the Zeta Tube.

"Well, no…" Dick admitted.

"Recognized: Batman 02. Robin B01."

"Robin, thank goodness you're okay!" Black Canary and Wonder Woman hurried over when the Zeta Tubes announced Batman and Robin's arrival.

"B doesn't seem to think so." Robin mumbled.

"Batman, the Medical team is getting set up now. Is what Agent A said true?" Superman interrupted.

"The medical team?" Wonder Woman questioned. "Is something wrong with Robin?"

Batman glanced down at his son. "Unfortunately so."

Robin's breath caught. He felt the panic beginning to build up again. Wonder Woman and Black Canary gasped.

"Robin, breathe in 2 3. Hold. Out 2 3 4." Batman once again focused his attention on getting Robin to calm down.

"Batman, what's going on? Why's everyone so worried?" Robin blurted out.

"He can't see it happening, can he?" Black Canary exclaimed.

"No. He can't." Batman replied.

"Can't see what happening? Batman? Batman!" Batman scooped Robin up and deposited him on a recently arrived gurney. "Batman, what's going on?! Someone tell me what's going on!"

"We can't see you, Robin." Superman finally explained. "You're invisible."

True to Batman's prediction, Robin panicked.


End file.
